Man who drove killers to scene of acid murder jailed for 16 years

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Although he was the driver, Dax Satorre knew that the contract
killers he was escorting planned to pour hydrochloric acid down an
innocent man's throat. Satorre, a drug addict at the time, was to
be paid $1000 for the job.

In sentencing him yesterday to 16 years' jail for murder, with a
non-parole period of 12 years, a judge said that although Satorre
did not know that Dominic Li would die, his role in the shocking
crime was serious.

Mr Li, 45, of Concord, died after two men, Richard Burton Nimmo
and Maua Sua, both 24, allegedly pistol-whipped him on his front
porch and poured acid down his throat, in front of his family, on
December 13, 2002. He died three weeks later.

Mr Li was targeted after a drug syndicate operating in Maroubra
accused his wife's brother, Phillip Ma, of gambling $500,000 it
wanted him to invest. Satorre became involved in the attack through
a go-between and two other men.

Justice Timothy Studdert said Satorre, 38, was aware Mr Li would
at least be permanently and seriously disfigured. "There could be
no question that the crime which resulted in the death of the
deceased was a most grave crime," he said.

"Whilst the prisoner did not participate in the actual attack
upon the deceased, his role in the crime was a very meaningful one.
It involved an appreciation that the victim, who was a complete
stranger to him, was going to be assaulted in a most cruel
fashion.

"The prisoner must have appreciated that the planned attack
would be resisted and that there was a very real risk that the acid
could enter the victim's eyes and mouth."

Satorre was born in the Philippines and moved to Australia in
1988, aged 16.

He came from a supportive family, Justice Studdert said, but he
developed an addiction to methylamphetamine (also known as shaboo),
when his de facto wife left him for another man in 2001.

The judge took into account several drug supply charges in
sentencing him.

Justice Studdert accepted that Satorre was remorseful and he
acknowledged his help to police, including agreeing to give
evidence against the others.

One of the alleged masterminds of the attack, Emil Chang, 41,
has since committed suicide in a Bangkok jail.